Insight Publication

A Dedicated Server Gives You Control

When you are using a website, it must be hosted by a server.  You can use either a dedicated server or a shared server.  With a shared server, there are many users being hosted on a single server and there are also limits to how many resources can be accessed by each user.  A dedicated server gives the customer exclusive use of the server which means that there are no other users, so there are also no limits to the resources.  This means that the amount of control and flexibility is also much greater than with a shared server.

The options for the type of control of the dedicated server include being fully managed by the customer or splitting the management between the web hosting company and the customer.  Depending on your needs, you will be able to find the amount of control you need for your business.  There are also different operating systems that are available and varying degrees of security.

There are basically two types of dedicated servers which fall into the category of either managed or unmanaged, although there are many gray areas in between.  With a fully managed dedicated server, the hosting company takes care of all of the administration that is necessary.  The customer manages the content and operation of the site and uses the available resources to do that.  With an unmanaged server, the customer is responsible for the administration of the site and handles the installation of scripts and software.

One of the reasons some people switch to dedicated servers is because their traffic load is very high and a shared server cannot keep up with it.  Because there is no one else to share the hard drive with, you have plenty of space for the content you need to store on the server.  You will also have use of all of the RAM and processor resources for yourself. 

Large organizations definitely benefit from the reliability and stability of using a server that is dedicated rather than shared.  If there is a large amount of traffic on your site, one of your biggest concerns is downtime.  By eliminating other users, you also avoid many other problems such as an overload of applications and malware attacks. The only applications are the ones that your business requires.  One single machine is set aside for your business, kept in a secure, temperature controlled environment.

The availability of resources means that you can offer online services such as immediate support to your clients.  This type of support improves customer satisfaction.  By having all of the memory, power and space dedicated to your business, you don’t have to worry about delays or lack of resources.  If a crash were to happen, you would have instant support for the problem. 

If your business has these kinds of needs, then a dedicated server is what you should look for.  You should be able to find one with a plan that you like and that fills the needs of your business.  Although it will be more expensive than a shared server, it may be well worth the cost if it helps you keep and increase your customer base.